Original title: After 21 days of isolation in Beijing, Lithuanian ambassador to China hurried back home
(Observer Network News) On September 3, local time, the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania announced that after China issued a statement on August 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania will recall the Lithuanian ambassador to China on September 4 for consultations. In other words, the ambassador hurried back home after 21 days of quarantine in Beijing.
Prior to this, the Lithuanian government disregarded China’s repeated representations and disclosed its interests and announced that it would allow the Taiwan authorities to establish a “representative office” in the name of “Taiwan.” On August 10, the Chinese government announced the recall of the Chinese ambassador to Lithuania and requested the Lithuanian government to recall the ambassador to China. According to a report from Agence France-Presse at the time, Lithuania’s ambassador to China Mikievichene had just returned to Beijing.
Michele Vichene told AFP in an email later that day, “I was notified to leave as soon as I arrived in Beijing…” She also added that she must be quarantined for 21 days. “Once the quarantine is over, I will Leave”.
On the same day, the spokesperson of my country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement on China’s decision to recall the ambassador to Lithuania. The statement stated that Lithuania’s move flagrantly violated the spirit of the communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania and seriously damaged China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese government expressed firm opposition to this and decided to recall the Chinese ambassador to Lithuania and requested the Lithuanian government to recall the ambassador to China.
China is telling the party that there is only one China in the world, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is the universally recognized norm of international relations and the universal consensus of the international community. It is the political basis for China to develop bilateral relations with other countries. The determination of the Chinese government and people to realize the reunification of the motherland is unshakable, and the red line of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be touched. We urge the Lifang to correct the wrong decision immediately, take practical measures to eliminate the bad influence, and not go further and further on the wrong road. We also warn the Taiwan authorities that “Taiwan independence” is a dead end, and attempts to engage in separatist activities in the international arena will never succeed.
On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania responded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania expressed “regret” for China’s move. It also stated that in line with the “one China” principle, Lithuania, like other EU countries and many countries in the world, is “determined” (determined). Develop mutually beneficial relations with Taiwan.
Screenshot of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of LithuaniaSince then, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania still “stubbornly” insists that Lithuania “does nothing wrong.” On August 11, my country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying responded to the matter again, emphasizing that the meaning of the one-China principle should not be distorted.
On August 23, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to a reporter’s question on the call between the US Secretary of State and the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, claiming “Chinese coercion”, and emphasized that the diplomatic turmoil between China and Lithuania is very clear. I want to reiterate once again that China has the right to make a resolute and necessary response to provocative actions that seriously damage China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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